Wings
by SpeedForceSpeedster
Summary: It's an usual day in Fairy Tail...that is until Master Makarov receives a message that Igneel has been spotted on the far off island of Caelum. Natsu immediately spurrs into pursuit hoping to finally meet his foster father once more. But the situation is far more than meets the eye...
1. Chapter 1

**The soundtrack to the Fairy Tail anime is what mainly spurred me to write a FT fic. The anime probably has the best music I have ever heard. I just hope I do the series justice with this series :D**

Chapter 1

The building towered over the small, round man as he looked upward. He'd heard stories, of course. Stories that highlighted the impressive nature of the building and its inhabitants. But nothing could have prepared him for the magnificent spectacle before him. The tall doors at the front were both intimidating and inviting at the same time and as he reached forward to pull them open he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as to what would welcome him.

The small man shook his head violently as to clear his thoughts and puffed out his chest. It was now or never. He had travelled for days to reach this point and now wasn't the time to be ruled by his nervousness.

"All right. Calm yourself Iemon. I'm sure they're far more accommodating than you've heard. They cant be that bad surely…"

He hoped.

Just as Iemon gathered his strength and attempted to pull the large doors they burst open. Iemon was thrown backwards roughly as someone barrelled into him from behind the open doors. A huge amount of noise erupted from inside the building, screams, shouts and even the odd spurt of laughter amongst it.

Dazed and slightly confused, Iemon looked down to get a better glimpse of what had bumped into him.

A young man was sprawled on all fours in front of him, rubbing at his head tenderly, messing up his unruly pink hair even more with his efforts.

"That bastard. I'll get him…stupid underwear pervert."

The pink haired young man stood up abruptly and started brushing down his clothes before starting to stomp back into the building. It seemed that he hadn't even realized that he's actually bumped into someone when he flew out the doorway. Suddenly Iemon noticed the scarf draped across his knees and realized that the young man must have dropped it. It was in surprisingly good shape considering the personality of its owner and Iemon figured that it was very important to the young man. Therefore…

"Um…um, hello? Excuse me, young man?"

The Pink haired young man jumped in surprise as he heard the voice from behind him and turned. His face looked confused as he tried to figure out why a strange man sitting on the ground had called for him.

"Eh? You talking to me uncle?"

"Um. Well, yes. I think you misplaced this scarf."

At the word scarf, the young man's expression changed immediately and his hands unconsciously flew to search frantically around his neck. Then, realizing that his scarf wasn't there, he started walking quickly to Iemon's side. He took the scarf out of Iemon's hands tenderly and carefully placed it around his neck.

"Phew. Can't believe I almost lost this. Thanks uncle, I owe you big time. Here".

The young man extended his hand to Iemon and helped him up.

"Ah, thank you."

Iemon brushed his hands over his suit, trying to get rid of at least some of the mud before his meeting and then bent forward to collect his satchel from the floor.

"Hey, uncle. What were you doing down there? Do you have some business here?"

Iemon resisted the urge to snap at the young man that it was his fault in the first place and resettled his half moon glasses on the bridge of his nose before answering.

"My name is Iemon. I have a message for the master of this…fine…establishment."

"A message for Gramps? Oh. Then follow me. I'll get ya to him uncle!"

The young man pushed Iemon forward eagerly, closer to the almost deafening noise from within the building.

"Now….now see here. Don't push."

The young man eventually succeeded to push Iemon into the building and closed the doors behind them with a definitive slam.

What Iemon saw was worse than he had first anticipated. Injured and drunk bodies were strewn all over the place like it was a normal occurrence and people were fighting each other with smiles plastered all over their faces. One of the fighters was even naked. They were clearly having fun in the midst of all the chaos.

"Oi! Look who's back!"

"Ha ha ha. There he is!"

"Ready for round two eh?"

"Ha ha ha. Well uncle. This is it. WELCOME TO FAIRY TAIL!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Iemon watched as the fight in the Fairy Tail grand hall escalated. His lip trembled in fear as the young man pulled him forward through the hall, which was rather unpleasantly littered with the unconscious bodies of the weaker members. Once again, his eyes were drawn to the naked man that seemed to be leading the fight. The young man that tugged him onward stared straight ahead as if this was a most common experience within Fairy Tail and Iemon made sure to thank the Gods that he seemed to have gained the aid of one of the more reliable and mature of the Fairy Tail members at least.

Suddenly, blocking their path was the naked youth from before, with a rather fearsome glare on his face.

"There you are, bastard! Don't think this is over. This is all your fault Natsu!"

Natsu?

Was that the young man's name?

Iemon found himself pondering on a variety of things before the most important of all made its way to the forefront…._It was Natsu's fault? He caused all this…chaos?_

Iemon felt a tug on his arm as Natsu pulled forward so he stood almost nose to nose with the black haired naked youth. He seemed to have forgotten that Iemon was even there as he tugged almost unconsciously on his sleeve, dragging the older man with him.

"Ehhhhh? What was that you pervert? How is this my fault. Why don't you stop blaming things on innocent people and find a pair of pants you pervert."

"Ehhhhh? What was that? You picking a fight? What do you mean pervert, ehhhh? EHHHH?"

Iemon's nearly stumbled as he realized that the young man had only just gathered that he was completely naked. The black haired man covered himself with his hands and stumbled away.

"As soon as I get some pants, you're finished Natsu!"

"Yeah yeah. Don't hurry back Gray."

Natsu watched Gray's retreating back and laughed cheekily. Iemon decided to intervene and ask the question that had been niggling him.

"Uh, what exactly is wrong with that young man?"

"WOAH!"

Natsu screamed in terror as the voice penetrated his thoughts.

'_Don't tell me he…He forgot that I was here, didn't he_…' Iemon thought to himself as he watched Natsu pant heavily, hand over his heart.

"Jeez Lemon. I almost forgot that you were here."

"Not almost forgot! You clearly did forget didn't you! And its not Lemon, it's Iemon! IEMON! Now, please, if you don't mind can you take me to Makarov-san. Without any further interruptions. My message is of great import, it has to reach his ears directly."

Natsu looked at the older man with curious eyes. It seemed as though he was about to question Iemon but then seemed to think better of it.

"Ah yeah. Follow me."

Once again, Natsu led the way through the carnage of the great hall, skilfully stepping over unconscious and sleeping bodies as though he just anticipated that they were there and dodging the odd burst of magic that came his way. He was almost too comfortable with that kind of situation.

Iemon breathed a sigh of relief when Natsu led him upstairs. He had finally escaped the chaos downstairs and was safe. Natsu led him down a short hallway and stopped in front of an imposing door in front of them. He turned to face Iemon with a cheerful grin.

"This is it. Gramps' room."

"Ah, thank you."

Natsu nodded his head and gave a loud knock on the mahogany door. When there was no response he tried again.

Nothing.

"Cant say I didn't knock." Natsu said, just before shrugging his shoulders and barging in before Iemon could even voice a protest against his actions.

The room was very dark. The curtains covered the majority light that the window offered but a small ray shone through and highlighted the bed in front of them. Sleeping soundly, thumb in his mouth and clutching a rather tattered teddy bear was Makarov, the master of Fairy Tail.

Iemon was slightly under whelmed. All of the great stories he had heard about this man and his accomplishments seemed far away from his thoughts as he studied the small sleeping man in front of him.

"This…this is Makarov?"

"Yup. Gramps is the master of Fairy Tail."

"I…I see."

Iemon rubbed a hand over his forehead as though he had a headache and bit his lip. He wasn't impressed so far, that was certain.

Suddenly, before he even thought to stop him Natsu raced past him and jumped on the master's bed. Makarov jolted awake as the bed shook with the impact of Natsu jumping up and down.

"Wake up Gramps1 You have a guest!"

"NATSU! WHY YOU! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT ENTERING MY ROOM YOU LITTLE BRAT?"

Makarov's voice grew louder and louder and soon enough his body started to follow suit until he was tall enough that his head bumped against the ceiling. His face was alight with fury, but Natsu simply grinned foolishly.

'_Is he an idiot?_' Iemon thought to himself as he observed the young man. He looked to the young man and then to Makarov and then decided impulsively to interfere.

"Um…hello. Makarov-sama. If you wouldn't mind…I have…I have a mess-ss-age for you."

Makarov looked down as he heard the voice and his face registered surprise. He obviously hadn't noticed that Iemon was even there. Almost immediately his body regained its small form and once again Makarov looked like an ordinary old man once more. Disregarding the fact that he was still holding tightly to the bear and sporting pink rollers in the hair he had left.

"Ah. A guest? Excuse my rudeness."

Iemon noticed that his personality had immediately changed as Makarov gestured for him to take a chair by the bed. Makarov in the meantime headed toward the window and pulled the long curtains open. The room was instantaneously brightened and Iemon could finally study the room with a keener eye.

"Makarov-sama," he said, his voice still shaking somewhat from nervousness, "My name is Iemon Cubertlian. I am the mayor of a small town on the island of Caelum. I have come a very long way to talk to you face to face."

"Caelum? Where's that?" Natsu interjected.

Makarov turned to look at him sharply, silencing him immediately.

"Natsu. You've done your job now, I'll take it from here. You can leave."

Natsu looked at Makarov but didn't say anything. Instead he nodded his head and turned to leave the room.

"See you later uncle," he turned to say, grin wide on his face.

"Ah yes. Thank you Natsu-kun."

Natsu left the room and closed the door behind him gently.

"That boy…he'll be the death of me."

Iemon turned to look at Makarov and noted the expression on his face. His eyes shone with a gentle affection toward the boy Natsu and his mouth smiled slightly. Iemon found himself sweating profusely at the thought of having to replace that smile with a frown.

"Makarov-sama. I'm afraid we have some trouble to contend with…"

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in Fairy Tail. That right belongs exclusively to Hiro Mashima.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Feel free to message me your questions, complaints or compliments, and reviews are always welcome :)**

Chapter 3

Natsu trudged down the hallway, hands rooted deeply in his pockets. He found himself wondering briefly what exactly Makarov was being informed of at that very moment. But then his thoughts were interrupted by the noise coming from the great battle just down the stairs. His interest in Iemon's message had been replaced quickly with an interest in the battle taking place. A mischievous grin rooted itself on Natsu's eyes and his eyes gleamed.

"Alright! Time to get back to the party!" he yelled loudly, his voice echoing down the long hallway.

Suddenly Natsu's pace quickened, his walk soon turned into a jog and then a sprint. When he eventually reached the stairway he practically threw himself down the steps in eagerness.

Within minutes of leaving Makarov's room he was once more in the midst of the fighting, dodging projectiles left and right, jumping over puddles of alcohol and the odd puddle of blood. He beat his friends enthusiastically, laughing cheerfully as three, four, five of his friends lost to him and bowed out of the fight.

This was an all too familiar situation in the guild. It was what passed as normal in Fairy Tail.

Natsu spotted Gajeel's long black hair waving about with his movement in the distance and began to beat a path to his next opponent, knocking aside his friends as though they were paper. Some swore revenge against him for their defeat, whilst others just plain swore at him.

His progress slowed when he heard a loud voice from the other side of the hall and he turned to try and see what was going on. He had recognized the voice straight away of course. There was no mistaking Gray Fullbuster's masculine voice, especially when it carried so much volume. He sounded annoyed, and that was enough to catch Natsu's full attention. There was nothing that entertained him more than an annoyed Gray. His voice blasted over the noise once more, sounding far more annoyed than before.

"HAPPY! COME BACK HERE YOU CAT BASTARD!"

Natsu grinned to himself and made a mental note to give Happy an extra fish for lunch. He deserved it if he had done something to piss Gray off after all.

When Happy flew by a moment later, Natsu finally got to know what the little blue cat was guilty of. It was now entirely clear why Gray was so angry. Natsu burst out laughing as he saw.

Nestled tightly in Happy's little blue paws were a pair of Gray's underwear.

Happy raised the underwear high like a trophy, his impish grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Natsu! I stole Gray's underpants!" he said, his voice teeming with mischief.

Natsu continued to laugh as he noted the underwear in Happy's paws accompanied by Gray's angry shouting a distance away.

"Ha ha ha. Good job Happy! Keep 'em away from him for as long as you can! That'll teach him!"

"Aye sir!" Happy replied with a salute, grin plastered on his face.

A split second later Gray's voice erupted over the noise once more, sounding alarmingly close.

"HAPPY! GIVE ME BACK MY UNDERWEAR YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Natsu saw Gray's naked body emerge from the sea of fighters in the hall and motioned for Happy to get moving.

"Uh oh! See you later Natsu!" Happy shouted back as he whizzed away.

Natsu laughed hysterically as he saw his partner in crime steal a ladle from one of the tables and fly Gray's pants from it like a flag. His laughing increased even more when Gray ran by him completely naked, his face beet-red from mix of anger and embarrassment, with Juvia following close behind him.

"Gray-sama, Juvia can lend you her panties if you like. Juvia doesn't mind if it's Gray-sama!" she said, her eyes filled with love.

Gray didn't stop running when he replied, but he turned his head to address her. His tone was matter of fact.

"Don't be stupid! They'd obviously be too small!" he shouted.

Suddenly a shrill voice erupted from the fighters.

"IS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS YOU ABOUT THE OFFER YOU STUPID PERVERT?"

Lucy Heartfilia's voice rose in protest over Gray's choice of words but as soon as she saw Natsu standing a few feet away her anger turned towards him instead and she stomped over to his side, her thin shoulders set with intent. Natsu failed to read the mood and gave her a cheerful wave as she neared him.

"Oi Lucy! Where have you been?" he asked cheerfully, casually elbowing one of his comrades in the gut as he spoke.

When Lucy stood next to him her lip trembled in anger and her fists were clenched in a way that suggested she was ready to mete out punishment.

"Don't give me that, you idiot! I've been trying to clean up your mess. This is all your fault Natsu!" she yelled angrily.

Natsu looked at her as though he had no idea what she was talking about and she sighed.

"Hey Lucy, did you see Happy's treasure?" Natsu asked curiously.

Lucy looked bewildered. She obviously hadn't seen Happy fly past with his ill-gotten gains.

"Stop trying to change the subject Natsu. We need to stop Er…"

She was interrupted by an enthusiastic Natsu.

"Look, there he is now!" he said, laughing as he pointed Happy and his 'flag' out in the distance.

When Lucy saw what Natsu was pointing towards she unconsciously snorted. She struck a hand to her mouth to smother the giggles that were about to emerge in an attempt to preserve the severity of the situation at hand. She turned away from the scene and concentrated her gaze on Natsu's face , even if his own manic giggling was threatening to make her laugh as well.

"NATSU! LISTEN TO ME! IF WE DON'T STOP HER ERZA IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!" Lucy shouted desperately, trying to draw Natsu's attention from a flying blue cat waving his makeshift flag.

Her shouting did draw Natsu's attention, but Natsu's face looked puzzled.

"Erza? Why is Erza fighting?"

"You idiot! You were the one that set her off, remember! You insulted her cooking and she got mad and flung you out the door. How do you think all this fighting started?"

When Natsu still looked confused after her explanation Lucy reasoned that he had hit his head on the way out. Even if Natsu's head was hard, it certainly wasn't impervious to damage.

"So we need to stop an angry Erza? Ah, I'll leave that to you Lucy…you're the strongest in Fairy Tail after all. Good luck!" Natsu said, his voice now shaking slightly and his face a few shades paler than it usually was.

"The hell I am! Stop acting like a coward and help me calm Erza down!"

Natsu gulped. An angry Erza was terrifying…

Where he had still been desperately trying to blink the sleep from his eyes before Natsu left the room, Makarov's eyes were wide open now. The news this Iemon fellow had brought to him was as valuable as there came, at least where certain members of the guild were concerned.

They had to be told of course. Immediately. This could be life changing news for them depending on how quickly it was dealt with.

"Iemon-san. If you'd excuse me for a few seconds."

Makarov closed his eyes and concentrated his vast magic to his throat and then he spoke. Or rather bellowed. His loud voice, magnified nearly a hundred-fold blasted throughout Fairy Tail.

"NATSU! GAJEEL! WENDY-CHAN! MY ROOM NOW!"

His message was short and to the point without giving any information away. But the fact that he only ordered those three individuals to his room would not go unnoticed. The three dragon-slayers had been summoned.

"Natsu…" Makarov said, his voice quiet once more. But now it was filled with emotion.

This news would not go down well.

Natsu, having left Lucy sympathetically to deal with Erza by herself, stood outside Makarov's room for the second time that day. But this time Gajeel and Wendy stood with him. They all had an inkling as to what they were called for and they were all anxious for some reason. They had never been called directly to Makarov's private chambers before. Natsu looked at his friends, noted the scared look on Wendy's face and how her small hand was gripping tightly onto Gajeel's larger hand. Natsu couldn't hide the fact that he too was anxious, he exhaled once and then he pushed the door open for the second time that day….

TO BE CONTINUED

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS FROM FAIRY TAIL.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The four young dragon slayers entered the room together, their faces grim; as if they already expected bad news. It was obvious why the three had been called after all; it had to be about their 'parents'. They could think of no other explanation as to why they in particular had been called to master Makarov's room.

Once they had entered Makarov motioned for the three mages to take a seat around the small table in the left-hand side of the room. They all took note of Makarov's morose expression while he motioned them to sit, and their nervousness grew. Even Natsu stayed quiet and looked sombre. Before sitting Natsu acknowledged the rather nervous Iemon with a nod, which he in turn responded to with a fairly forced smile.

"Sit down Natsu", Makarov said authoritatively, his voice cutting across the silence like a knife.

Natsu, for once did as he was told and took a seat next to a fidgety Wendy and an even more grim-faced Gajeel than usual.

"What's all this about Gramps?" Natsu finally asked, unable to hold his curiosity in check any longer.

Makarov didn't answer at first, he simply paced in front of his bed, hands clasped firmly behind his back. Then he spoke.

"I have some important news; something that all of you need to know. But especially you Natsu".

"Eh, me?" Natsu questioned in surprise, pointing to himself.

Makarov nodded seriously.

"Ok Gramps. What's up?" Natsu asked casually.

However, before Makarov was able to start, Wendy's shy voice piped in.

"Makarov-san. Is this about the fight downstairs? Because Natsu-san technically didn't start it this time…although he probably is the one that caused it…"

Makarov looked at the young girl with a puzzled look obviously unaware of what was transpiring in the grand hall at that very moment.

"Eh? What fight? Wendy-chan?"

Suddenly Natsu interjected. He knew too well what would happen to him when Makarov discovered the trouble he had 'apparently' caused.

"Eh he he, I'm sure it's nothing Gramps. Didn't you have something to tell me?"

Makarov looked at the young man, studying the look of forced innocence on his face and sighed. It was obvious that Natsu was trying to change the subject to save his own skin. But Makarov knew that it wasn't the time to confront him about the fight that seemed to have started downstairs. The matter at hand was far more pressing. The youngsters needed to be told immediately, and the other things would have to wait for the time being. Makarov steeled himself for the obvious response and then told them.

"Natsu. Igneel was spotted on the island of Caelum," he said gently, as though his tone would somehow act as a calming agent.

But as quiet and gentle as his words were, Natsu's response was as explosive as ever. His expression turned from cheerful to serious in a split second and there was no hiding the pure emotion in his voice. For a moment he even looked like he would cry as his eyes glistened and his voice cracked.

"Where? Where is he? When did you find him? I…I have to go!" he yelled impatiently, leaping from his seat and heading urgently towards the door without even waiting for an answer to his question.

Makarov planted himself in Natsu's path as Gajeel and then even Wendy rose from their own respective seats with responses of their own.

"If they found one dragon that could mean that…"

"Oh gosh…Grandine…Did they see her too?"

Makarov had anticipated this of course, had expected the flurry of questions that would follow his information. He had known that Gajeel would be as loud as Natsu, searching for his own answers. But it was Wendy that surprised him. She was practically dancing in anticipation, her voice as loud as both Natsu and Gajeel. But Makarov supposed that was the default reaction that children would have regarding the potential re-appearance of their parents after so long. Being humans and dragons didn't mean that the bond between them would be any weaker or less meaningful than if they were all human.

"Natsu, Gajeel. You too Wendy-chan. Sit down, I haven't quite finished yet. You'll get your answers if you wait patiently for them. As a matter of fact, Iemon-san, why don't you take it from here?"

As Makarov said his name all eyes swerved to a rather fidgety Iemon. The pressure he felt from the mix of expectant, glaring and hopeful stares was intense enough to make him break out in sweat. He patted his face with a fine embroidered handkerchief and then felt himself unconsciously pushing up his glasses, even though they weren't actually out of place on the bridge of his nose. The pressure was making him increasingly nervous and he could practically feel himself shrinking into his suit like a turtle retreating into its shell for safety.

When Master Makarov's booming voice erupted across the room Iemon practically jumped out of his skull in surprise.

"I SAID SIT DOWN! DIDN'T I JUST SAY YOU'LL GET YOUR ANSWERS IF YOU WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THEM? SCARING THIS MAN WITLESS WONT HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS ANY QUICKER YOU IDIOTS!" Makarov bellowed authoritatively.

He was relieved to have stirred some kind of response as firstly Wendy made her way to her seat followed by a despondent Gajeel and Natsu. Iemon seemed to gather what little courage he had from this sign of obedience and cleared his throat far more confidently than he felt. It was obvious that his nervousness remained as rather than addressing the young dragon slayers themselves he first spoke to the table and then to a spot on the wall to their right, fiddling with his fingers for the duration.

"Ehem. Well…um. I am the Mayor of a small town on the island of Caelum you see, and um. Well a little over two days ago I received a report of something rather mysterious approaching in our skies. I couldn't believe when they told me it was a large dragon, but after I saw it myself…It had already passed over our neighbouring cities without incident but some of our townspeople grew scared of what it could do, saw it as a threat. And, well….um before I could do anything to prevent them, our chief guild Chimera Wing took off after it and, umm…."

"YOU ATTACKED IGNEEL?"

Natsu looked furious, his eyes were aflame and his body language said it all. Iemon was sure that he had never seen such pure anger before and shrank back in fear. He responded in a whisper so slight that Natsu had to lean forward to catch it.

"Well…no…I didn't personally. C-Chimera Wing a-a-attacked it."

"But you didn't stop them? That's as good as if you had done it yourself! What kind of mayor are you if you cant control your own guilds?"

Natsu's words were surprisingly cruel but Makarov understood the reason for his words. But that didn't necessarily mean that they needed to be said.

"Natsu! That's enough! Now shut up and listen boy!"

Makarov's tone was enough to silence Natsu for the meantime but he didn't look any calmer. He looked like he would actually burst into flames at any moment.

But before either Makarov or Iemon could say anything, Gajeel's deep voice interjected.

"Chimera Wing. I've heard of them."

Makarov for one was glad of the distraction and proceeded to respond to Gajeel's musing.

"I'm not surprised that you have. Chimera Wing is a dark guild operating on Caelum. Their leader is the chief benefactor of Iemon-san's town. Safe to say that without him the town would be knee-deep in debt. As far as the town is concerned he's ranked as something above even the mayor himself. Get it? Iemon-san doest have any control over them. Even if he wanted to do something to stop them, he couldn't; they're above the law."

Iemon nodded meekly in agreement, still averting Natsu's eyes.

"I'm sorry Natsu-kun, but Makarov-sama is correct. I'm not strong enough to stand against that man. But you need to know something. Chimera Wing did follow the dragon, Igneel-san was it? They went into the mountains searching but they came back empty-handed."

Natsu perked up at this and his expression turned from anger into expectancy again.

"You mean that…"

"Yes. Chimera Wing injured him, but they did not kill him. Igneel-sama is probably still in those mountains somewhere…"


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.**

Chapter 5

Natsu slammed the door to Makarov's room shut behind him and sped off down the hallway towards the stairs. As he thought of Igneel and the trouble he could be in he felt his rage and his apprehension growing. He willed his feet faster, and then faster still until he ran so quickly and so passionately that he left a trail of flames in his wake. He didn't turn around when he heard the same door he had barged through seconds earlier slam once again, but assumed that the other dragon slayers had followed him out shortly after he had left the Master's room. He didn't wait for them, because he knew that they were headed to the same place. They all had a reason to after all. If one dragon had potentially been found, the others could very well be out there too. If they found Igneel they could finally get the answers they had been searching for. The answers they had been waiting so long to get.

Natsu reached the stairs after what felt like an eternity and threw himself down them, taking three steps and sometimes four at a time. He had no time to waste on stairs.

The grand hall was still stuck in the same state as he had left it. The mass member fight still raged on enthusiastically, with Erza smack in the middle of it punching and kicking her fellow members with no remorse. Gray, a simple tea towel wrapped around his waist to hide his modesty, chased after Happy; who still brandished his underwear like a trophy, while Lucy hid herself under the very table that Cana was drinking herself silly on.

"Fight me if you are a man!" Elfman's voice rang over the noise, his head barely noticeable over the pile of unconscious bodies before him.

Despite all the noise and strife Mirajane continued as normal, pouring drinks with a smile, Lisanna sighing at her side as she viewed the scene of carnage her brother had caused before her.

For perhaps the first time since he had joined Fairy Tail years before, Natsu ignored the fight that raged on before him and made his way towards the door without hesitation. When Happy saw his best friend approach them, a single look at Natsu's face was all it took for him to throw the ladle holding Gray's underpants away, unintentionally hitting Gray in the face with them, and fly to his side. He accompanied Natsu without a single word spoken between them. Happy had been with Natsu long enough to know when something was wrong, something which words could not heal. Natsu and Happy opened the guild doors and then left without pause. A minute later Gajeel and Wendy did the same, the same determined and passionate looks on their faces. They had left without saying a single word to anyone but their departure hadn't gone unnoticed.

Wendy cast troia on them quickly, although she doubted that any of them would need it due to their level of concentration. She doubted that the rocking motion of the ship would bother them at all in the condition they were in, they had far more important matters to concentrate on rather than the erratic motion of the ocean waves.

Their journey to the harbour had been completed with utter silence, with each of them lost in their own thoughts and not really noting the silence to begin with. Gajeel looked pensive, as though he was thinking hard on something, and Natsu wore the serious expression that was so rare for him. Except this time it was different. He looked practically possessed, his eyes blazed and his nails left bloody imprints on his palms as he clenched his fists tightly. Wendy, on the other hand, was more worried than anything. Worried for Natsu, worried for Igneel. But more than that, she remained hopeful, that there was a chance that Grandine wasn't too far away from her grasp. The three of them wore different expressions on their faces but each showed their own love for their respective parents. This was the extent of their love for them, that they would cross to a different continent without hesitation for the mere chance that they would see them once more. That they would drop everything to board a ship they knew they would be uncomfortable on to find information that may or may not lead them to their parents.

They had reached the harbour in no time at all. Natsu's expression practically opened a path to the harbour for them, steering people out of the way as he approached with that blazing expression on his face.

It wasn't hard to secure passage to Caelum either due to the more than liberal amount that Gajeel offered to the ship's captain in exchange for the journey. The Captain had eyed the money in Gajeel's outstretched hand with a look of utter shock. His grin had plastered his face as he gestured for them to climb aboard.

All three dragon slayers, as well as Happy, sat on their own respective beds in the guest cabin, impatiently waiting for the large vessel to set sail. Natsu's foot rapped against the wooden frame of his bed and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance more and more often as time passed by. He had no time to waste. He couldn't let the opportunity to meet, and more importantly, rescue Igneel slip through his fingers.

Gajeel's masculine voice broke the silence, his voice riddled with impatience.

"What the hell is taking so long? Shouldn't we have set sail by now?" he questioned angrily, unintentionally voicing Natsu's own thoughts.

It felt like hours had passed as they waited for the ship to set sail and it was grating on their nerves. Natsu hated waiting on any _normal_ day, but now he was livid with anticipation. To say that he was eager to get to the island of Caelum was an utter understatement.

His arms crossed tightly over his chest, an ever present glare in his eyes, Natsu looked exactly how Gajeel imagined he was feeling inside, like his thoughts were in turmoil, smothered with a potent combination of fury and anxiety.

The older young man pushed off his bed and got to his feet. Natsu didn't say anything when he saw the other man move, he just stared as usual, his expression a shadow of his former cheerful self. Wendy however couldn't keep her curiosity to herself, and her brows were raised in question.

"I'm going up there to see what's taking so long. This is getting annoying," Gajeel answered the unasked question.

Wendy nodded her approval, her eyes never leaving Natsu's face.

Gajeel strode out of the guest cabin, closing the door behind him with much more force than was necessary. Natsu wasn't the only one who was livid, Gajeel just hid it better.

~O-o-O~

Gajeel climbed the stairs from their room and made his way to the deck. But before he had even reached the top stair he heard a commotion on deck. Deciding not to make an appearance just yet, Gajeel sat down on the second step, careful to hide his face from view. He glanced in the direction of the noise and his stomach almost flipped as he saw the cause.

He practically stumbled back down the stairs and threw the door to the guest cabins open, frightening Wendy in the process. Natsu and Wendy both turned to look at their even more sour-faced than usual companion.

Gajeel looked annoyed at something. He gestured his thumb behind him towards the staircase and spoke.

"Oi, Salamander, there's something you should see," he stated simply, without giving anything away.

Natsu and Wendy both looked towards each other and then made for the door as Gajeel instructed. The three dragon slayers proceeded up the staircase together, two of them unsure what to expect.

They reached the top in a matter of seconds and looked over the deck. Their glances were immediately caught by a crowd of young people in the distance. People that were more than familiar to them.

Standing on the deck, arguing with the captain about something, his shirt already unbuttoned halfway, was Gray Fullbuster, and behind him was Lucy and Levy. To their immediate left was Juvia, sending heated glances at Gray as he argued with the ship's captain. Lucy slapped a palm to her forehead as Gray grabbed onto the captain's shirt, dragging him forward threateningly. She was about to say something to him when she suddenly spotted the three dragon slayers staring at the scene from a distance. She elbowed Gray in the ribs, who promptly let go of the captain, and ignoring the threatening glares from the overprotective Juvia she started forward to meet them.

"Natsu!" she yelled ominously, hands resting on her hips in a way that made it clear that she was serious, " just where the heck do you think you're going without the rest of your team?"

TO BE CONTINUED

**And thus the team is assembled. For those who may be disappointed with the team so far, fear not there will be more to come. But I had to include Levy, because the GajeelxLevy pairing is adorable. Gray x Juvia also amuses me so that's why they're there. Plus Gray is comic relief and a badass fighter- what's not to love? Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't know if I'm being arrogant or not, but I really hoped that this series might be a tad more popular. I know that the people who do read this are pretty enthusiastic about it (I've been threatened with death if I don't continue it lol) but i just wish that the review count was a little higher. One of the worst things that can happen to an author is to not receive the feedback they crave, and boy do I crave it. Please leave some sort of message for me to tell me if I'm doing anything wrong, i would appreciate it.**

**Chapter 6 was a long time coming, but I had to deal with a lot of crap over the past weeks, namely the sudden death of my grandfather, so my apologies if you felt that this took too long.**

**Anyway, I digress, please enjoy chapter 6.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL, THAT RIGHT BELONGS EXCLUSIVELY TO HIRO MASHIMA.**

**Chapter 6**

"Lucy…what are you doing here?" Natsu questioned with barely disguised scorn.

The tone he had used was not lost on Lucy. She raised a blonde brow in question, her once firm pose of disapproval slackening with the almost unemotional manner in which her best friend was using. Safe to say, she had never heard him so…unlike himself. She had heard him angry far too often for her liking, but something was different this time around. This time his anger actually seemed to be directed towards _her_. Throughout their friendship she couldn't remember him being angry with her once; or at least not to this extent. She didn't like the coldness in his eyes, the tight line his lips had formed, or the almost hostile way in which he held himself. It just wasn't Natsu. She suppressed a small shudder before she answered him, forcing her eyes to meet with his.

"Well…Master Makarov said you might need us. You know, just in case…" she stuttered, hating how her voice piqued every now and again under his scrutinising gaze.

Her response only seemed to agitate Natsu further. His black eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into defensive fists. He clicked his tongue derisively before relaxing himself.

"That old man…" he mumbled under his breath, balling his hands into fists.

Lucy watched him apprehensively, wringing her own hands nervously.

"Natsu. Why didn't you come to us? You knew we'd want to help," she asked him quietly. She placed a hand on his shoulder and tried her best to keep the sadness locked in when he shrugged it off.

"No. There's no reason for you to. We can handle this alone," he stated neutrally turning his back to her.

Lucy gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her brows furrowed with anger as she grabbed Natsu's retreating shoulder and forced him back around. Natsu wore a look of surprise at the fierceness of her action but then regained himself and glared at her instead. Her grip was tight on his shoulder as she spoke, the fury clear in her voice.

"Don't be stupid Natsu! I'm not going to let you push us away! I…we want to help!" she whimpered, her courage to confront the cold young man floundering as she continued.

Natsu stared at her, dispassionate about her outburst.

"Lucy, go home," he ordered, shrugging off her weakening grip on his shoulder.

Lucy bowed her head weakly, biting her lip at his reaction to her words.

"Stupid Natsu. We all owe you…so let us repay the favour….Please?" she pleaded.

Her voice, the pained tone alighted something in Natsu and just for a moment his heart ached in his chest. He'd never intended for her to sound so utterly defeated…more than anything he just wanted her to stay out of harms way. But, he reasoned with himself, that was an _insult_ to her. She was as much of a mage of Fairy Tail as he was after all; didn't deserve to be brushed aside just because it was safer in Fiore. He knew that she was capable, could hold her own in battle, but a dark part of him poked and prodded at his reasoning, suggesting that she'd slow him down just like the rest of them, that if he was too busy worrying about them then Igneel would be in even more danger. What if he had to choose between them? Lucy's safety against his father's? He didn't think he'd ever be able to make that decision.

It was with a sense of foreboding that Natsu uttered his next words. He turned his back on her, careful not to let her see the conflicted look on his face; he didn't want to seem weak now of all times.

"Fine, do whatever you want."

Lucy flinched. She knew that she couldn't count it as a victory, not when Natsu seemed so reluctant about it. She would have thought that Natsu would be happier with more people to support him…not so furious.

Natsu strode away from the celestial mage and headed to the bow of the ship without turning his head to look back. Lucy watched him with a worried gaze as he leaned on the woodwork, his own eyes fixed on the sea before them. She could almost feel the vibrations on the wooden deck as he tapped his foot restlessly; obviously eager to get going, his fingers practically bruising his own arms as he crossed them over his chest.

Lucy breathed a short sigh of relief as she realised that Natsu wasn't going to throw them off the ship as she had feared. She raked a nervous hand through her hair and prayed that she wouldn't have to see such a cold expression on her friend's face again. She was so used to seeing him smile happily that anything contrary to that was almost terrifying. Suddenly, Lucy felt a familiar tingle travel through her body and seconds later a worried voice emerged from the space next to her.

"You okay Lucy?"

She rolled her blue eyes and turned to her left. Sure enough, just as she had expected, Loki had forced himself out as usual and stood next to her casually. Though his eyes were covered in his customary sunglasses, his worried expression was hard to miss. Lucy forced a smile to her lips and punched his arm playfully, using far more force than she intended judging by Loki's reaction: a sudden yelp followed by him rubbing the injured appendage through his suit sleeve. Lucy cringed before sending an apologetic cringe his way. Loki dismissed it with a shake of his head and a forgiving smile and then he asked her whether she was alright once more.

"Yeah…but its hard seeing him like that. Master Makarov warned us that he was angry…but I didn't expect him to be this bad. Its almost scary," she admitted quietly, leaning her thin frame against the celestial spirit. Loki pulled her into a one armed hug, resting his chin on her blonde head, his gaze drifting over to scope Natsu in the distance.

"Don't be too hard on him. Natsu's been waiting for this day for years…but I don't think he expected Igneel to be in trouble. He was probably hoping for some kind of far fetched happily ever after scenario knowing him. Don't let him push you away. He needs all of us now. He needs you to be there for him, no matter how much he acts like he doesn't. Natsu's stubborn that way."

Lucy nodded her agreement, her eyes never once leaving Natsu's frame in the distance. She couldn't help but notice how lonely he looked.

"I just want to be there for him, like he's been for me."

**~O~**

Natsu's face fell as he studied the rowdy scene before him, sweeping straight past the unamused Lucy and resting on the uproar that Gray was busily causing with the ship's captain. He didn't think that the ice mage's antics had ever annoyed him more than they did at that moment, or seemed so insignificantly stupid.

The young dragon slayer sighed impatiently and resisted the urge to roar with the anger that boiled in him. He kept his clenched fists securely at his sides, lest the urge proved too great and he ended up lashing out at something that didn't really deserve his wrath. The ship certainly couldn't take him anywhere if it was in pieces and he doubted that Gajeel had the necessary funds on hand to afford chartering another one on such short notice.

He felt his brow twitch in annoyance at the farcical scene on the other side of the deck, whereas on any other occasion; had the circumstances been different he knew that he would be the first to laugh at the way Gray was unconsciously undressing himself in front of the bemused captain; be the first to cackle at the ridiculous compliments that Juvia directed towards the oblivious ice-mage as she hovered behind him, practically shooting love beams at him from her eyes.

Loki was, on the other hand, an almost refreshing addition in comparison. Natsu wasn't sure when Loki had joined the group but he was glad the celestial spirit was mature enough to stay away from the idiot duo, as Natsu had labelled them. He stood cross-armed against the central mast, surveying the scene with rolling eyes and a noticeable sigh every now and again.

Lucy, meanwhile, was doing much of the same, albeit with a tad more volume.

"Oi! What are you doing, you idiot?! We didn't come here to pick a fight! Stop harassing the captain! Do you want us to get thrown off?!"

Natsu's gaze drifted from the others to rest on Gajeel and a very red-faced Levy. He couldn't help but marvel at how gently the dark haired, and often intimidating, young man was smiling down at her as he teased her. He held a book just out of Levy's reach and was obviously enjoying the sight of her leaping as high as she could to reclaim it. Natsu couldn't help but feel a tad irked at the sight; couldn't help but feel annoyed with how quickly Gajeel's sense of urgency seemed to have vanished with the group's arrival. But he supposed that the journey to find Igneel was far more important to him than to the others; it wasn't their adoptive parents who were in danger.

Natsu mentally reprimanded himself for that unfair thought, before dragging a hand through his unkempt hair with a sigh.

He just wanted to get going. He just wanted to find his father…safe and sound, before he went crazy with the worry.

**~O~**

"Gajeel, give it back you big idiot!"

Levy's irritated cry sounded out over the deck as she leapt up to try and reclaim her book from Gajeel's hands. He chuckled with humour as he watched her struggle, raising the book even higher once he found that she was getting closer to taking it from him with every leap. He didn't even know why he was having such fun at her expense, but seeing her pout at him with furrowed brows was beginning to do strange things to his stomach; and it wasn't an unpleasant feeling in the slightest. Maybe, he considered to himself, he was slightly more sadistic than he first thought.

"I might give it back if you tell me what the hell you think you're doing by being here shortie," the dark haired youth stated, altogether failing to keep his grin locked away as he saw her frown at his choice of nickname to address her by. He vaguely wondered why teasing the blue haired mage was so interesting and why she was such a distraction. Gajeel was well aware that there were other things he should be thinking about, and how best to annoy the young woman next was not supposed to be one of them.

Gajeel was startled to see a burst of colour erupt over the young mage's cheeks, her eyes flitting around and landing anywhere but on him as she answered him. She no longer leapt to reclaim her book; her short figure almost balled with embarrassment now; her blue hair falling over her expressive eyes as she bowed her head. Gajeel raised a brow at the show of apparent shyness even as he ignored the irritating fluttering of his stomach.

"I just thought…" Levy started anxiously, her eyes flitting up to Gajeel's face every now and again, only to fly straight back down once they found his red orbs.

"You just thought?" Gajeel encouraged her, folding his arms over his chest with smugness as her face reddened even further at his prompt for more information.

"I wanted to help yo…Natsu!" Levy burst out, eager to cover up her near blunder.

She looked upward, hoping that Gajeel hadn't noticed her slip up, hadn't heard her true purpose for tagging along. She didn't think she could live it down if he decided to tease her about it, even worse if he was to reject her after they had come so far. His face, when her eyes had finished their journey upward, was impassive and he showed no sign of having heard her mistake and obvious cover up. Either that or he just didn't care. Now part of Levy was disappointed that he hadn't heard her…maybe this time she could have finally gathered her courage and told him how much he meant to her.

"Ah, that so? Glad to have you on board shorty. Try not to get stomped on" Gajeel smirked, glad to get a rise from the young woman after he referred to her by nickname once more.

That pout would be the death of him.

"Hmph, Gajeel you big moron! Keep the book if its so important to you; I'm going to talk to Lucy!" Levy growled, her small fists balled by her sides and her stride full of intent as she walked past the bemused young mage and headed towards her friend.

Gajeel stared after her, feeling a tad guilty that he had pushed her so far, though he couldn't deny that he enjoyed seeing the young woman flustered or angry. He watched as she joined Lucy on the other side of the deck and then let his gaze fall on the book in his hands. For some reason he felt warm throughout his whole body and he was sure that his face in particular was flushed red as he pondered back on something he knew he had heard earlier, though the speaker had done her best to cover the word up.

"Shit…she came _for me_?"

**~O~**

Natsu lay on his bed in the cabins, hands nestled behind his head and dark eyes focused intently on a spot on the ceiling. They had only just set sail a few minutes earlier but Natsu had excused himself from the deck and headed downstairs, not telling anyone where he was going but assuming that their eyes followed his progression regardless. He didn't want the others to bother him any further lest he take his anger out on them just like he had with Lucy. Now that he had calmed down a little the feelings of guilt began to nag at him and he realised just how harsh and cold he had been with her; he hadn't meant to be so fierce with her, he just found that his anger was a little harder to control than expected. He just hoped that she didn't hold it against him in the long run and that she'd forgive him for his shortness with her. He had a good enough reason to be angry, but that was no excuse to take it out on the people that mattered to him. He turned on his side as he felt the ship rock against the waves and closed his eyes. He didn't want to sleep, merely closed his eyes to think better, it helped him to concentrate; and he needed to concentrate harder than ever now.

His mind was chaotic, his thoughts jumbled and confused. He truly didn't know what he was supposed to feel. The thought that he'd finally meet Igneel again gave him a tremendous amount of relief, but then again the thought that his father was in peril made him angry, sad, anxious. He was scared that he'd get there too late; that by the time the ship arrived in the harbour on Caelum Igneel would already be past the point of saving. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to bear that kind of pain, to lose him again.

The sound of the door opening jarred him from his thoughts but he didn't move to look who had entered. He just lay there, pretending to sleep. He was too tired for any more confrontation, didn't want to take his anger out on anyone else that day. He heard a creak of wood that told him his guest had sat down on one of the beds; with an unrestrained plop by the sounds of it. The silence stretched out for another few minutes and it was almost painful. He had a feeling that his guest knew perfectly well that he wasn't sleeping, so why hadn't they spoken yet. After another minute of awkward quiet Natsu heaved a weary sigh and turned to rest on his other side, opening his black eyes and focusing them on the figure seated on the bed opposite to him.

Gray Fullbuster stared back at him with a frown, bare arms crossed over his chest.

"Oi. Are you really this stupid?" he eventually said, his tone as harsh as the one Natsu had used with Lucy earlier.

Natsu glared back at him. He hated when Gray used that tone with him, as though he was looking down on him.

"Leave me alone, bastard."

Gray's lips pulled back in a snarl before he punched the bed he was seated on. Natsu heard the sound of the wooden frame splintering with the impact.

"Fucking moron. I heard all that crap you were spouting with Lucy. What the hell is wrong with you?! You know she was only trying to offer you a fucking helping hand so why did you have to bite her fucking head off? You worried about your pride, is that why you won't ask for help?! Is that it?" the ice mage raged, his anger clear with his battle-ready posture. He held up a hand when Natsu made to speak and glared for him to keep quiet, "Just shut the hell up and let us help you out, you stupid idiot."

His face was death serious; eyes filled with intent. He breathed hard after his outburst, as though it had taken a lot out of him to say what he needed to say.

Natsu said nothing for a long stretch and Gray was surprised to see a rather deadpan look on the dragon slayers face even after he had just confronted him passionately. He had expected his words to coerce _some_ kind of reaction from Natsu, be it an argument or even a nod of agreement; but not the impassioned look he received instead. Natsu simply continued to stare at him with an oddly judgemental look if anything.

But finally he responded, his voice strangely monotonous coming from Natsu. He was usually so loud and energetic that it was downright strange for him to sound so neutral.

"I don't need any help from a guy who hasn't even realised that he's been standing around with no pants on for five minutes," the dragon slayer stated dryly, gesturing his hands at Gray's exposed lower body.

At Natsu's instruction Gray looked down at his own crotch and realised that the pink-haired youth was correct. His jacket was pulled tight around his shoulders and a pair of white socks hugged his feet; but it was now startlingly obvious that was all he wore. His pants and underwear were nowhere to be seen

"Buwwwwaaaaahhhhhhh?!" he shouted unintelligibly, seemingly at a loss as to why he wasn't wearing any pants.

Natsu simply sighed, gave the ice mage one final look of derision and turned his back to him. He heard the creak of a bed suggesting that Gray had risen to his feet, accompanied by a rather embarrassed sounding cough.

"Anyway, we're coming along whether you like it or not, so get used to seeing us around," he heard Gray's voice intone from behind him, before he heard the scuffling of boots suggesting that the ice mage hurriedly made his way towards the door.

Had Gray cared to look at the dragon slayers face before he excited in a rush, he would have noticed that Natsu was smiling ever so slightly.

**~O~**

On the island of Caelum, far away from the dragon slayers and their companions, a solitary figure stood by a window, calmly surveying the ocean before them. His long hair was bathed white in the moonlight but his face stayed hidden within a film of darkness. In his gloved hand he held a glass, filled almost to the brim with a vibrant red substance. At first glance it seemed like he was partaking of a fine wine, but upon closer inspection it became apparent that the liquid was a tad too thick to be a wine. He gulped at the liquid hungrily, only stopping when a drop evaded his mouth and fell down his chin. He scraped the substance with a single finger and brought it to his lips where he lapped it up with his tongue, making sure not to miss any of it. Once that was complete he smiled sinisterly, chuckling darkly to himself as though he had been privy to some private joke. He raised the glass as though to toast someone, his gaze still fixed to the ocean, and then gulped the remains. His glass finally empty, he tore his gaze from the window and looked down at it, turning it in his gloved hands. Suddenly, the action spontaneous and without a real reason for it, he flung the empty glass at the rightmost wall. He smirked as he heard the glass shatter against the brickwork, his eyes hypnotised by the sight of the falling glass.

When he spoke, he addressed no one in particular, his voice deep and deceptively calm. He had the air of a young man, but his voice held an intonation that suggested he was far older than he appeared.

"Soon…soon that monster will be mine."

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**So, how was it? This is the last we'll see of super angsty Natsu for a while now, so that may come as a relief to some of you.**

**Also, I seem to have caused a little confusion regarding the pairings in this series, so just to clarify, there **_**will**_** be NatsuxLucy, GajeelxLevy and probably a little GrayxJuvia thrown in there as well, but my series are usually slow paced so there won't be romantic development right off the bat, ignoring the GajeelxLevy interaction in this chapter. I find them absolutely adorable I have to admit, and it is easier to write them as a couple than the others.**

**The Fairy Tail manga seems to be in that weird phase right now, where everything comes across as a little rushed (the tournament ended a little anticlimactic didn't it?), and I heard some rumours that it may go off on hiatus in a while. Hopefully that's not true, and if it is I hope it won't be for long. I'm still waiting for them to release the fourth OST from the anime! Come out already!**

**Anyway, this chapter introduces one of the antagonists, although I made sure not to reveal too much just yet and has Natsu begin to break out of his angst bubble. He won't be chipper, overexcited Natsu, but he will be a little more like his old self; a little quieter maybe.**

**Thanks for reading etc.**

**I'll see you again,**

**SFS x**


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